As a son of established musicians, Daniel Thrower was bound to fall in love with music. He learned how to play various musical instruments such as the piano, violin, viola, and clarinet.

In high school, he auditioned for his alma mater’s jazz band. “I showed up with my clarinet, not knowing that clarinets weren't part of the jazz band,” shared Daniel. Despite the dismay, he was determined to learn how to play the trumpet, so he could audition again the following year.

His hard work paid off when he was selected as the lead trumpeter of the band. This became the start of his marvelous career in music.

Chasing a Dream

Daniel’s love for the trumpet led to him pursuing a PhD in Music Arts, Trumpet Performance and Pedagogy. He shared his talents through teaching part-time in several universities. During his tenure as an instructor, he developed many musical compositions and exercises for his students.

As his works grew by the number, Daniel dreamt of making a 15-volume trumpet method (a textbook that contains musical composition and exercises). The method would contain not just musical pieces and assignments, but also some filler pages with illustrations. Having the illustrations let readers take a break from all the academic exercises.

Daniel produced the compositions and exercises, while the illustrations used in the filler pages were made by a college friend Daniel hired in 2003.

A few years later, Daniel had to put his project on hold since he needed to allocate his earnings on a more important matter -- raising a family. Changes in priorities and lifestyle were in order.

“Funding my dream project was difficult since I spent most of my income on family needs, and my student loans," he added.

The uncertainty of part-time employment pushed Daniel to audition for the US Air Force Band (USAFB), in which he spent the next couple of years. Playing for the USAFB meant having a permanent position, and it also paid well.

A Second Chance

In the latter half of 2016, Daniel decided to push through with his project since his financial situation was much better than before. So, he immediately contacted his previous illustrator to get things rolling again. Unfortunately, his colleague was no longer interested in such time-consuming project.

Daniel's illustrator suggested the idea of posting a project on Freelancer.

“Within seconds of posting the project, dozens of offers were coming in. I loved having so many profiles to choose from," Daniel said.

She spent countless hours working on the 150-illustration project. It took a couple of days for Gizelle to complete the first set of designs before she moved on to the next sets.

“She was professional, talented, patient, and obliging! I can't say enough positive things about her. I paid a fair price for her exceptional service,” shared Daniel.

Thanks to Gizelle and Freelancer, Daniel saved a few thousand bucks. If he hired a local talent, he would have spent at least US$3,000 more.

“In a global marketplace like Freelancer, safety is paramount,” mentioned Daniel. He was confident that all monetary payments and communication between him and Gizelle were safe.

The Future

Accomplishing the project was a milestone for Daniel since he was able to complete a decade-long dream of his. “This project has awakened a sleeping passion in me to complete my bigger project. It has sparked a fire of motivation that I have needed for years to make significant progress on my books. My method books are destined to benefit the world of music, trumpet, and education,” he added.

Daniel turned his dreams into goals. With the help of Freelancer and Gizelle, he’s bound to turn goals into accomplishments.

You have the power to turn your dreams into accomplishments too, it all starts here.